Editing Skate (fish) (section)

== Taxonomy and systematics==
===Evolution===
Skates belong to the ancient lineage of cartilaginous fishes. Fossil [[Dermal denticle|denticle]]s (tooth-like scales in the skin) resembling those of today's [[chondrichthyan]]s date at least as far back as the [[Ordovician]], with the oldest unambiguous fossils of [[cartilaginous fish]] dating from the middle [[Devonian]]. A [[clade]] within this diverse family, the [[Neoselachii]], emerged by the [[Triassic]], with the best-understood neoselachian fossils dating from the [[Jurassic]]. This [[clade]] is represented today by [[shark]]s, [[sawfish]], [[ray (fish)|ray]]s and skates.<ref>[http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/vertebrates/basalfish/chondrofr.html UCMP Berkeley "Chondrichthyes: Fossil Record"]</ref>

The body plan of skates is caused by skate-specific genomic rearrangements that have altered the three-dimensional regulatory landscape of genes. These changes arose about 286–221  million years ago when skates diverged from sharks.<ref name='nature2023'>{{cite journal |last1=Marlétaz |first1=Ferdinand |last2=de la Calle-Mustienes |first2=Elisa |last3=Acemel |first3=Rafael D. |last4=Paliou |first4=Christina |last5=Naranjo |first5=Silvia |last6=Martínez-García |first6=Pedro Manuel |last7=Cases |first7=Ildefonso |last8=Sleight |first8=Victoria A. |last9=Hirschberger |first9=Christine |last10=Marcet-Houben |first10=Marina |last11=Navon |first11=Dina |last12=Andrescavage |first12=Ali |last13=Skvortsova |first13=Ksenia |last14=Duckett |first14=Paul Edward |last15=González-Rajal |first15=Álvaro |last16=Bogdanovic |first16=Ozren |last17=Gibcus |first17=Johan H. |last18=Yang |first18=Liyan |last19=Gallardo-Fuentes |first19=Lourdes |last20=Sospedra |first20=Ismael |last21=Lopez-Rios |first21=Javier |last22=Darbellay |first22=Fabrice |last23=Visel |first23=Axel |last24=Dekker |first24=Job |last25=Shubin |first25=Neil |last26=Gabaldón |first26=Toni |last27=Nakamura |first27=Tetsuya |last28=Tena |first28=Juan J. |last29=Lupiáñez |first29=Darío G. |last30=Rokhsar |first30=Daniel S. |last31=Gómez-Skarmeta |first31=José Luis |title=The little skate genome and the evolutionary emergence of wing-like fins |journal=Nature |date=20 April 2023 |volume=616 |issue=7957 |pages=495–503 |doi=10.1038/s41586-023-05868-1 |pmid=37046085 |pmc=10115646 |bibcode=2023Natur.616..495M }}</ref>

===Classification===
The skate belongs to the class [[Chondrichthyes]]. This class consists of all the cartilaginous fishes, including sharks and stingrays. Chondrichthyes is divided into two subclasses; of which [[Elasmobranchii]] includes skates, rays, and sharks. Skates are the most diverse elasmobranch group, comprising over 20% of the known species. The number of species is likely to increase as taxonomic issues are resolved and new species are identified.<ref name="Ebert Davis 2007"/> The following genera recognized in the family Rajidae:<ref name = CofF>{{Cof family|family=Rajidae|access-date=31 October 2024}}</ref>

{{Linked genus list
| Amblyraja | [[August Wilhelm Malm|Malm]], 1877
| Beringraja | [[Hajimi Ishihara|Ishihara]], [[Michelle Treloar|Treloar]], [[Peter H. F. Bor|Bor]], [[Hiroshi Senou|Senou]] & [[Choon H. Jeong|Jeong]], 2012
| Breviraja | [[Henry Bryant Bigelow|Bigelow]] & [[William Charles Schroeder|Schroeder]], 1948
| Caliraja  | [[David A. Ebert|Ebert]], 2022
| Dactylobatus | [[Barton Appler Bean|Bean]] & [[Alfred Cleveland Weed|Weed]], 1909
| Dentiraja | [[Gilbert Percy Whitley|Whitley]], 1940
| Dipturus | [[Constantine Samuel Rafinesque|Rafinesque]], 1810
| ''[[Korean skate|Hongeo]]'' | Jeong & [[Tetsuji Nakabo|Nakabo]], 2009
| Leucoraja | Malm, 1877
| Malacoraja | [[Matthias Stehmann|Stehmann]], 1970
| Neoraja | [[John D. McEachran|McEachran]] & [[Leonard Compagno|Compagno]], 1982
| Okamejei | [[Reizo Ishiyama|Ishiyama]], 1958
| Orbiraja | [[Peter R. Last|Last]], [[Simon Weigmann|Weigmann]] & [[Don Dumale|Dumale]], 2016
| ''[[Raja (fish)|Raja]]'' | [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], 1758
| Rajella | Stehmann, 1970
| Rostroraja | [[P. Alexander Hulley|Hulley]], 1972
| Spiniraja | Whitley, 1939
| Zearaja | Whitley 1939
}}

Skates have more valid species than any other group of cartilaginous fishes.{{cn|date=October 2024}} Since 1950, 126 new species of skates have been discovered. Five scientists take credit for the rapid increase of findings.{{cn|date=October 2024}} The [[Rajiformes|Rajidae]] are considered monophyletic because of their similarity in appearance. There are 18 genera<ref name = CofF/> and about 250 valid species. However, there is little information about the diets of about 24% of these species. There are at least 45 dubious species of skates worldwide.<ref name=":1" />